Monday, January 31, 2011

I told you about how Saudi media are working hard to support Mubarak at all cost. It has reached comical level. The main headline of Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (the mouthpiece of Prince Salman and his sons), says: "And Mubarak Responded to the Demands of the People." I kid you not. I KID YOU NOT.

""What is necessary is that we try and manage this . . . (It must be managed in a way that) means that they will have a proper democracy, but also means that the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians is not adversely affected"". Is this like the "managed" democracy in Saudi Arabia? (thanks Albert)

The words "free elections" and "democracy" will begin to be heard from official Washington, DC once Mubarak's plane leaves the tarmac in Cairo. As for Zionists, they can't talk, damn it. They are weeping. In Egyptian dialect of Arabic, they are:
بيعيّطوا. يا دهوتهم

A person who attended those meetings sent me this (I cite anonymously with her permission): "I was present on a few occasions at the IAEA Board of Governors when he made thrilling off-the-cuff anti-Israel speeches! That changed my opinion of him entirely."

Two US officials today commended the Mubarak dictatorship for its "restraint" toward the demonstration. Thus far, Mubarak's restraint has caused the death of more than 100 people and injured more than 2000 people. Tell that to Obama officials.

The Saudi government learned that lesson, the hard way. When Aljazeera started and it expressed a wide spectrum of opinions (much more than now), Saudi-owned media (some 95% of all Arab media, at least) launched fierce campaigns against Aljazeera. Then they realized they failed and orchestrated the reconciliation with Qatar, which certainly lowered if not eliminated the anti-Saudi tone of Aljazeera (since that reconciliation I have not been invited once to discuss Saudi or Jordanian affairs when my first ever appearance on Aljazeera was about Saudi Arabia). I am told by higher ups in Aljazeera that Prince Nayif was instrumental in the reconciliation with Qatar because he told his brothers that Aljazeera can really affect stability and dissent in the kingdom of horrors. Mubarak is dumb: he closed down Aljazeera's offices and arrested Aljazeera correspondents (can you imagine the international uproar of Syria or Iran did that?). So what did Aljazeera do? It has gone all out. Aljazeera is clearly now bent on bringing down Mubarak's regime. The coverage is non-stop. All other programmings have been suspended. Take that, Husni and Jamal Mubarak.

The hypocrisy of the US policies has been apparent to all Arabs for decades: only Americans are now getting to feel it. Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan (was there ever a more stupid president ever in US history? In fact, his son Ron. Jr in his new book states what I had suspected all along: that Reagan lost it much during the presidency--lost it literally and figuratively) summarized US policies towards communist regimes by that sentence: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. Bush/Obama summarize US policies toward the Middle East with the new slogan: Mr. Mubarak: reform this wall.

I kid you not. Mubarak state TV (Nile station which merged with the other Egyptian regime satellite station) is showing scenes of pro-Mubarak demonstrations and they are referred to as "pro-stability demonstrations". The anchor woman was receiving calls: one of them, she said, has suggested that clerics issue calls to halt all demonstrations. Yet, the deputy editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram was interviewed and he gave support to the 25th of January demonstrations but then expressed support for the wise moves of Mubarak.

"As Israel's image continues to deteriorate in the world, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has decided to make an unprecedented move by hiring a network of European firms to conduct the state's public relations campaign throughout the continent."

I have quibbled with the thesis of Mershheimer and Walt in their study of the influence of the Israeli lobby, but you sometimes encounter things in the papers that only confirm their thesis. Look at this: "Mrs. Clinton confronted one such ripple effect when she said on the ABC News program “This Week” that the United States did not intend to cut military aid to Egypt, despite the White House announcement Friday that the nearly $1.5 billion in annual assistance was under review. The prospect of a cutoff of aid alarmed the Israeli government, an Israeli official said, because it is linked to the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel and could alienate the Egyptian military, which Israel views as a stabilizing force in an otherwise deteriorating situation. Israel has conveyed its concerns to the United States about the risk of a sudden collapse of the Egyptian government, this official said. It worries about who would replace Mr. Mubarak, viewing the ascendant opposition leader, Mohamed ElBaradei, with some wariness."

I don't know what kind of regime will emerge in Egypt, but you can safely predict that the new regime will not pick--as Mubarak has done--Samir Ja`ja` (Ga`ga` in Egyptian dialect) and Amin Gemayyel as chief allies in Lebanon.

"Egyptian security forces beefed up their presence along the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a bid to stop Hamas operatives from crossing between the two countries amid concerns that terror groups will take advantage of the anarchy in Egypt to launch attacks against that country and Israel." I can't wait to watch the border when the regime collapses. (thanks Khaled)

"Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke to Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, who would not provide details of their conversation. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke with Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Enan, the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces. In the 10-minute call, "both men reaffirmed their desire to see the partnership between our two militaries continue," said Capt. John Kirby, Mullen's spokesman. Egypt receives more than $1 billion in U.S. aid annually."

"“Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries are going to be spared because they are not democratic regimes,” said Jamal Khashoggi, the general manager of Al Waleed 24 News Channel. People in those countries “don’t feel cheated because there are no elections,” he said."

This chief Egypt correspondent for Al-Arabiyya TV (station of King Fahd's brother-in-law) is very capable and competent--I have to admit--but is a servant of the Mubarak regime, and has been a loyal servant for the regime. Her reporting has been atrocious during those days. She grills demonstrators about what they are doing to deal with the "criminals" as if they are the government.

How cute. The EU has called Mubarak to enter into dialog with opposition. Can you just compare the rhetoric of the US and EU about Egypt with their rhetoric about past communist regimes in Eastern Europe?

"Israeli officials have telephoned Hosni Mubarak's newly appointed vice president Omar Suleiman several times urging Egypt to maintain previous security coordination, Israeli media said." The occupying state is just incredible. The regime is about to collapse, and Israel is asking for "security coordination." It is not clear if they asked Sulayman for fries with that.

I noticed that since Walid Jumblat switched sides, he is not mentioned in the US press and his every utterance is not translated as they were in the past years. Anyway, today he called on Mubarak to step down and called Hillary Clinton "Orientalist."

"Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo, wrote in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, “The only people in Egypt who are committed to peace are the people in Mubarak’s inner circle, and if the next president is not one of them, we are going to be in trouble.”"

"For the United States, Egypt is the keystone of its Middle East policy,” a senior official said. “For Israel, it’s the whole arch.”" When New York Times or Israel say "Egypt" they mean, Mubarak of course. You read this article and you almost want to cry: it is like a story about parents who are about to lose a precious baby.

There is yet another variation of the famous line of poetry by Abu Al-Qasim Ash-Shabi (see yesterday's post). This one goes like this:
إذا الشعب يوماً أراد الحياة, فلا بدّ أن يستجيب القذر
If people ever willed to live, it is destined that the filthy one will favorably respond (it really rhymes in Arabic)

From Lebanese poet Amin Rihani's poem Revolution (my translation):
"...It is Revolution and its awesome frowning day
Brigades wave as windflowers. Inciting those who are far,
bightening those who are near.
Drums repeat the echoes of a bizarre hymn
horns call on whomever is within earshot
and the eyes of people throw flames
And fires ask for more
And a sword that responds. And awe that greys
Woe then to the oppressors,
woe to them from mean rebels
From stubborn seekers of righteousness
Woe to those with false safety
Woe to the oppressors
It is Revolution and its barefooted sons
And its tough manly boys
And its proud strong men
And its tigresses women
And its eloquent male and female orators
And its mutinying male and female leaders
Woe then to the oppressors
Warn them of chains and flames
Of bombs exploding and difficult day
A day when they do not order or lead
And they do not get freed and they flee
Woe then to the oppressors."

"INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY, per Laura Rozen: Michele Dunn of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Brookings Institution's Robert Kagan. They co-chair a bipartisan working group on Egypt. Also coming are others from their group, including Elliott Abrams, President’s Bush’s deputy national security adviser for the Mideast, and George Washington University Middle East expert Marc Lynch." I will see if I can get information about the meeting. Michele Dunn was my classmate at Georgetown: she had the best Arabic of anyone then and even read and enjoyed Arabic poetry. (thanks Jamal)

PS Of course, Obama--unlike Bush--is not dumb and he knows that Abrams knows shit about the Middle East, but take his invitation as one of many "centrist" gestures by a president who is, Clinton style, "reaching out" to Republicans. Just as he extended the horrific Bush's tax "cuts."

"Israel called on the United States and a number of European countries over the weekend to curb their criticism of President Hosni Mubarak to preserve stability in the region. Jerusalem seeks to convince its allies that it is in the West's interest to maintain the stability of the Egyptian regime. The diplomatic measures came after statements in Western capitals implying that the United States and European Union supported Mubarak's ouster." (thanks Ali)

This leftist senile group should be relegated to history. It has squandered historic opportunities. It decided to avoid the Day of Anger and now wants to jump at the opportunity and reap the benefits. They are gone: as obsolete as Stalin.

Don't believe a word about how the US is clashing with Mubarak. Not one word. Much of the rhetoric of the US administration and its propaganda outlets like the NYT and Washington Post are lies layered with more lies. If the US wants Mubarak out, it would have made a public statement to that effect. I have a feeling that the US stance has in fact hardened against Mubarak's ouster in the wake of Obama's phone conversations with two experts on Egypt: Netanyahu and Saudi King.

House of Saud are increasingly intensifying their propaganda on behalf of Mubarak. They have earned a long time enmity of the Egyptian (and Arab) peoples. There are already Facebook pages dedicated against Al-Arabiyya TV (the station of King Fahd's brother-in-law). Now they are reporting about the "need for security". It is all about security. Nothing else. News of crimes and theft dominate their coverage.

Lebanese ambassador in Egypt assured the Lebanese media that the Lebanese there are safe and sound. He even added that a group of Lebanese arrived to Egypt just the other day to attend a book exhibit. Yeah. I am sure that group of Lebanese went to Egypt for a book exhibit. I believe that.

But then again: cute names are given by Western media to uprisings that enjoy Western support (like the Lebanese and Iranian protest movements). So please don't give any names to the Egyptian uprising unless the Egyptian people choose one. Otherwise, I will refer to it as the Kushari Revolt, just to bug you.

The headline says: "Palestinian cause badly harmed by Egyptian unrest." But the story says: "The Palestinian Authority is directly and negatively affected by the unrest in Egypt, according to a top Palestinian official." As if the PA and the Palestinian cause are the same thing. In fact the fortunes of one are inversely proportionate to the fortunes of the other.

"In the end, neither speech may have made much of a difference. The chaos unfolding in Egypt is laying bare a stark fact, Middle East experts say: In the Arab world, American words may not matter, because American deeds, whatever the words, have been pretty consistent. Ever since that March morning 31 years ago, when Anwar el-Sadat reached out to clasp hands with Menachem Begin on the North Lawn of the White House after signing the Camp David peace treaty with Israel, the United States government has viewed the Egyptian government, no matter how flawed or undemocratic, as America’s closest ally in the Arab world. Even when Ms. Rice and the Bush administration were infuriating Mr. Sadat’s successor, Mr. Mubarak, and calling for democracy in the Middle East, the reality was that the two governments were still, at their core, allies."

I have been critical of Baradi`i and remain critical. I oppose his candidacy for any post in Egypt. So I asked a supporter of his for his stance on Israel. He said that while he is not the Angry Arab, but that he has been critical. He gave me some examples:
"he said the occupation forces only understand force"
"he cancelled interviews with the BBC over its decision not to broadcast a charity appeal for Gaza."
"his stand on Gaza angered Abdel Menem Said"
"Zionists are now saying that he's a front man for the Muslim Brotherhood" (source is French equivalent of MEMRI)
"- he said that if elected he would support Palestinian resistance"

"Saudi-owned Al Arabiya has been more conservative in covering the Arab uprisings -- less proactive in covering the protests in the early stage and quicker to promote a return to stability once concessions are offered." (thanks Eddy)

The White House actually admitted that Obama consulted with Netanyahu over developments in Egypt. A president who is blind to the aspirations of the Egyptian people wants to seek out the opinions and advice of Netanyahu. That should go well with the Egyptian protesters.

Did you see the footage of Husni Mubarak visiting the headquarters of Egyptian military command? It looked as impressive as the headquarters of the Lebanese Army command during the Israeli war on Lebanon back in 2006, when the entire Army command and rank-and-file slept.

I am told that the Lebanese Forces websites removed the reference to the meeting between Samir Ja`ja` (Ga`ga` in Egyptian dialect) from its website. Verify that for me NOW. Al-Mustaqbal's on-line edition has a link to the story of the meeting but the picture is only available on the pdf version.

"Israelis worry that Jordan itself is in a precarious state and a successful overthrow in Egypt could spread there. And if the Muslim Brotherhood were to gain power in Egypt that would likely mean not only a stronger Hamas in Gaza but also in the West Bank, currently run by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, as well as in Jordan, meaning Israel would feel surrounded in a way it has not in decades." (thanks Sarah)

""Two of three newspapers with the largest circulations, Yediot Aharonot and Maariv, had identical front page headlines: “A New Middle East.”" Yes, it is a new Middle East in which you have no place. (thanks Khelil)

Aljazeera's powers are bigger than ever. Its influence has only increased. And when Aljazeera is provoked, like it has yesterday with its ban from Egypt, its coverage becomes more biting and sharp. Those dumb Arab tyrants. Director-general of Aljazeera channels, Waddah Khanfar, told me back in July that the US ambassador in Qatar receives a weekly State Department report on US complaints about Aljazeera. He told me he once discussed the complaints with the US ambassador, and realized that the complaints included materials relating to coverage of Israel. So Khanfar asked him why the US is relaying complaints regarding coverage of a country other than the US?

"As'ad AbuKhalil, a political professor at Cal State Stanislaus and visiting professor at UC Berkeley, wrote on his popular "Angry Arab" blog that Egyptian and Saudi media were trying to discredit the protest movement. “House of Saud's propaganda is on over-drive," he wrote. "They are really trying hard to discredit the protests in Egypt,” he said, citing a headline in Saudi-owned daily Asharq al-Awsat “Egypt mutilates itself.”"

The Zionist scenario of a coup: "“What we have to focus on now is getting the military into a position where they can hold the ring for a moderate and legitimate political leadership to emerge,” said Mr. Indyk, a Middle East peace negotiator in the Clinton administration."

Read what I have been writing about Jeffrey Feltman to understand this. Feltman was asked about events in Egypt. He said: developments in Tahrir Square in Cairo strikes me as uniquely...Tahrir Squarean.

Read what I have written about this guy before. I recently mocked him because he posed as an expert of North Africa. Today in the Times, he is promoted as an expert on Egypt, when the Obama administration has used his services as a foremost expert on...Pakistan. Tomorrow, Bruce Riedel will pose as an expert of China. (Of course, he knows no Arabic or Urdu or Punjabi, but is conversant in English).

"As’ad AbuKhalil, a politics professor in the United States, wrote on his popular blogsite Egyptian and Saudi media were both trying discredit the protest movement. “House of Saud’s propaganda is on over-drive. They are really trying hard to discredit the protests in Egypt,” he said, citing a headline in Saudi-owned daily Asharq al-Awsat “Egypt mutilates itself”."

One more note to the Zionists who are weeping--and all Zionists are weeping as Mubarak is tottering: there are names being discussed for forming a transitional council. I have received many of those lists and read many of those names. I can assure you that every one of those names is a bitter foe of Israel. Let me put it this way: the name of Hamdi Qandil is on every one of those lists and may emerge as the spokesperson of the new movement. Qandil is as Angry an Arab as I am. (He is married to Najla' Fathi, famed Egyptian actress on whom I had a strong crush as an adolescent). Oh, one more thing: ha ha ha and ha.

"“We should not press for early elections,” Stephen J. Hadley, the national security adviser to President Bush, said in an interview. “We should give the Egyptian people time to develop non-Islamic parties. The point is to gain time so that civil societies can develop, so when they have an election, they can have real choices.”" So don't have elections, and just wait for decades until you hope to produce puppets who heart Israel. Keep dreaming.

"On Saturday, Mr. Suleiman was named vice president of Egypt — and the clear successor to the top job — after years as Egypt’s foreign intelligence chief and Egypt’s lead liaison with the Palestinians. " Michael forgot to add that he was lead liaison with the Israelis.

The US has endorsed, embraced, justified, and funded every state repression by the regime of Sadat and Mubarak. Don't forget the 1977 uprising which was dubbed the "Thieves' Uprising" by Sadat. And the US also supported the savage state repression and massacres in Umbaba back in the 1990s.

Today, representatives of the of the Egyptian labor movement, made up of the independent Egyptian trade unions of workers in real estate tax collection, the retirees, the technical health professionals and representatives of the important industrial areas in Egypt: Helwan, Mahalla al-Kubra, the tenth of Ramadan city, Sadat City and workers from the various industrial and economic sectors such as: garment & textiles, metals industry, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, government employees, iron and steel, automotive, etc… And they agreed to hold a press conference at 3:30pm this afternoon in Tahrir Square next to Omar Effendi Company store in downtown Cairo to announce the organization of the new Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions and to announce the formation of committees in all factories and enterprises to protect, defend them and to set a date for a general strike. And to emphasize that the labor movement is in the heart and soul of the Egyptian Peoples’ revolution and its emphasis on the support for the six requirements as demanded by the Egyptian People's Revolution. To emphasize the economic and democratic demands voiced by the independent labor movement through thousands of strikes, sit-ins and protests by Egyptian workers in the past years."

Imam is digging a bigger hole for himself. Today, he said that `Umar Sulayman has popularity in Egypt. By the way, the official Egyptian announcement regarding the appointment of Sulayman to the vice-presidency did not note his official post as head of the General Mukhabarat but merely referred to his post as a minister.

You may now expect tons of articles about the Egyptian museum. The White Man really cares about the museum. They will write more articles about the damage to two Egyptian mummies than to the scores of people killed and injured by a regime sponsored by the US.

It has been mentioned that Abu Al-Qasim Ash-Shabi is now the poet of the moment in the Arab world. Anthony Shadid mentions him today in his article. But people only refer to two lines of his poetry when he has many other good poems (I wrote about him two weeks ago here). But now there is a variation (being circulated by Arabs on Facebook and twitter) of his most famous line of poetry which goes like this:
"If people ever willed to live, it is certain that destiny shall favorably respond"
The new variation is: "If people ever willed to live, it is certain that Twitter will favorably respond" (it rhymes in Arabic)
إذا الشعب يوماً أراد الحياة, فلا بدّ أن يستجيب توتر

""We are anxiously monitoring what is happening in Egypt and in our region," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before his Cabinet's weekly meeting. "Israel and Egypt have been at peace for more than three decades and our objective is to ensure that these ties be preserved. At this time, we must display responsibility, restraint and utmost prudence.""

Comrade Joseph informs me that: "why al-Jazeera is no longer available in Amman is on account of it being cut off by the Egyptians who control Nilesat. Jordanians are now watching it on Arabsat and hotbird."

"“[W]e do not want to send any message about backing forward or backing back,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is to help clear the air so that those who remain in power, starting with President Mubarak, with his new vice president, with the new prime minister, will begin a process of reaching out, of creating a dialogue that will bring in peaceful activists and representatives of civil society to, you know, plan a way forward that will meet the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people." (thanks Hussein)

"Young ended the program by pushing his book theme that the Iraq War was good (though with unfortunate errors) – and by extension a bit of muscle is needed in Egypt – because one cant just wait for reform…. Arab societies need some good doses of Western force to put them on a “good” democratic, liberal path, Young suggested." Young, as is known is a world expert on offshoots. (thanks Nicholas)

There is a long history of Israeli (covert) support for Arab regimes in trouble. Mossad took control over the security of King Hassan II after series of coup attempts in the late 1960s but also also collaborated much earlier with him and were involved in the affair of Bin Barakah. They supported with arms the Royalists in the Yemen war, and provided key assistance to the Sultan of Oman when he faced a real challenge in the Dhufar war. They also supported the Lebanese regime of Sham`un (and later of Amin Gemayyel--because his little brother (Bashir the tiny tool of Israel) was assassinated before he could assume office--ha ha ha), they have supported the Jordanian monarchy and PA police (non) state.

It is not amusing to see a number of Egyptian intellectuals (in Egypt and abroad) who in the past voiced strong support in Husni Mubarak and who were desperate to shake hands with Jamal Mubarak now come out of nowhere and speak in support of protest. Today, Egyptian director, Khalid Salim (is that his name? the Arab nationalist progressive director), spoke about this opportunism on Aljazeera and he was referring to unfunny comedian, `Adil Imam.

That was cute: in the skies of Egypt: Egyptian fighter jets flying high over the cities. Oh, yeah. The Egyptian Army should be proud of its bravery and history. For people of my generation, we only remember the sights of this lousy Army in its lousy performance against Israel. We remember them fleeing in droves from Sinai with their hands over their heads and we remember how some of the leaders of the Egyptian Army (people like Husni Mubarak) turned a potential victory against Israel in 1973 into a resounding defeat. Remember that 1973 was a resounding defeat and very humiliating. And when were those jets when Israel continues to threaten Egypt and other Arabs. And we know that Israel still occupies Sinai along with the US. Fighter jets over demonstrators? Can you imagine the outcry if this was done in Iran? The UN Security Council would have issued three resolutions by now.

When Al-Arabiyya's chief correspondent in Cairo meets with demonstrators, she immediately asks them: what are you doing about the "baltajiyyah" (criminal elements)? As if the protesters rule the country and bear responsibility for its protection.

I received this email from Ramallah: "Greetings, I would like to remain anonymous regarding my name. I am writing to you to tell you that the Palestinian Authority has yet again obstructed and threatened anyone who will show up at the peaceful protest (i3tisam) scheduled to happen today in front of the Egyptian embassy in Ramallah, Sunday February 1 at 4 pm. This is the second time that the PA refuses to let the Palestinians express solidarity with first our Tunisian brethren and sisters in their popular uprising and now in supporting the Egyptian people in their uprising against Mubarak's regime."

The scenario of the counter-revolution was all clear on Mubarak Nile TV yesterday. The TV was covering (like the Saudi media like Al-Arabiyya TV--the station of King Fahd's brother-in-law) only the looting and destruction. Then, Mubarak TV opened up its lines and said that they were now allowing calls from around the world but that they would not allow any political talk but only about the "security of Egypt." Of course, calls came in and said that only "security of Egypt" matters and nothing about the demands for political change. One of the calls almost said his name is "Jamal" and another almost said his name is "`Ala'". I wrote this before: Egypt is not Tunisia in the sense that the US/Israel would fight tooth and nail to preserve the Mubarak regime. Oh, and the broadcasters on Mubarak TV kept saying that Aljazeera is spreading lies "about Egypt."

""You see," the 50-year-old lawyer said, displaying the items. On the bottom of each were the words "Made in the USA." "They are attacking us with American weapons," he yelled as men gathered around him. In the streets of Cairo, many protesters are now openly denouncing the United States for supporting President Hosni Mubarak, saying the price has been their freedom. They say the Obama administration has offered only tepid criticism of a regime that has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid."

"They also called for the Jordanian government to stop peace talks with Israel and to close the Israeli embassy in Amman. "No...no for a Zionist [Israeli] embassy on Arab land," they shouted." (thanks David)

Of all the people in Egypt, they chose to interview Mahmud Qabil: a stooge of the Mubarak regime. Today, `Adil Imam called Aljazeera to deny that he opposed the protests and he expressed support. As is well-known, this comedian--who was last funny in the lat 1970s, if not earlier--Imam is a fierce supporter of Husni and Jamal Mubarak.

House of Saud's propaganda is on over-drive. They are really trying hard to discredit the protests in Egypt. Just see the cover page of the mouthpiece of Prince Salman and his sons, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat. Look at that picture and the main headline on the front page is: "Egypt mutilates itself."

I was watching regime state TV. Total focus on the "looting and destruction." They showed the footage of a "gang" of 50 people. They spread their "weapons" on a big table. I looked closely: I saw one rifle, some bullets, and a knife and screw drivers.

“There is so much excitement around the Arab world. On Facebook and Twitter you see Saudis congratulating Egyptians, Iranians contratulating Tunisians,” said Asad Abu’Khalil, a professor of political science at California State University Stanislaus. “A student at UC Davis just left everything and went to Egypt to join the revolution,” he said. “That’s the level of excitement.”"

Comrade Talal sent me this: "What is most surprising is how quickly the entire apparatus of governance breaks down once the legitimacy of the state governance becomes in doubt. I mean, no police, no judiciary, nothing, and in 4 days! During the US presidential crisis of 2000, the state structures themselves were hardly affected. In contrast, Tunisia and Egypt provide example of how decayed the power base is. It is a function of all centralized state structures that once the legitimacy of the top leadership is question, all comes down."

Comrade Joseph sent me this: "What strikes me as most ironic, at least at the level of the image, is that millions of Egyptians marched in the streets of Cairo to demand of Nasir that he not resign after he lost the 1967 war, while today millions march across Egypt calling on Mubarak to resign and get the hell out of Egypt!"

""I asked Mubarak whether he felt ready to serve as Egypt’s President. He smiled. “I’m not going to answer that question the way you’d like me to,” he said. “What I will tell you is that, in the last nine years, my social and political exposure has given me a better understanding of the issues, of the problems that average citizens feel.” "Gamal and his older brother, Alaa, were raised in tightly guarded, luxurious residences in Heliopolis, a neighborhood favored by top officials and military officers, and were driven around Cairo in limousines. “Gamal spent his life in palaces,” Osama al-Ghazali Harb, who is the editor of a foreign-policy journal in Cairo and an acquaintance of the Mubarak family’s, said. “He never walked the streets, he never took a taxi, he had no contact with Egyptian culture. He lived as a prince, surrounded by generals and millionaires.”" (thanks Redouane)

James sent me this: ""His grip on power was further challenged Saturday as the military that he had deployed to take back control of the streets showed few signs of suppressing the unrest, and in several cases the army took the side of the protesters in the capital and the northern port city of Alexandria. In the most striking instance, members of the army joined with a crowd of thousands of protesters in a pitched battle against Egyptian security police officers defending the Interior Ministry on Saturday afternoon."
Lenin: 'Not a single great revolution has ever taken place, or ever will take place, without the "disorganisation" of the army'

Trotsky: 'There is no doubt that the fate of every revolution at a certain point is decided by a break in the disposition of the army. Against a numerous, disciplined, well-armed and ably led military force, unarmed or almost unarmed masses of the people cannot possibly gain a victory'.

Lukács: "The instant this [class] consciousness arises and goes beyond what is immediately given we find in a concentrated form the basic issue of the class struggle: the problem of force. For this is the point where the 'eternal laws' of capitalist economics fail and become dialectical and are thus compelled to yield up decisions regarding the fate of history to the conscious actions of men."

""More than this, in his first appearance at a meeting last Wednesday of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee the new head of military intelligence Major General Aviv Kochavi said to member of Knesset, "There are currently no doubts about the stability of the regime in Egypt."" (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

""As the news circulated, speculation was rife that the shadowy intelligence chief, who has the support of the still popular Egyptian military, was the safe pair of hands which the U.S. and Israel would approve to manage an orderly transition that would maintain Egypt's international commitments; it also may signal that Mubarak may not be running for another term in September."" (thanks Hussam)

"American officials must already be wondering what will happen to the fight against Al Qaeda if Mr. Saleh is deposed. And what will happen to efforts to counter Iran and promote Arab-Israeli peace if Mr. Mubarak is suddenly gone?"

"In cautioning that events in Tunisia might not be replicated, Mr. Kaplan writes that upheavals in the Middle East have often resulted in authoritarian regimes seizing power. What goes unmentioned is any United States role. Mr. Kaplan cites the 1979 revolt against the Iranian shah’s “tyranny,” which resulted in a worse regime. He doesn’t mention the 1953 overthrow of Iran’s freely elected prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, by a coup the C.I.A. organized to secure the throne for the shah. Mr. Kaplan writes that “perhaps hundreds of thousands ... died in sectarian and ethnic violence” in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s overthrow. He doesn’t mention the C.I.A.’s skewed W.M.D. estimates that contributed to a war of choice, and President Bush’s lack of postwar planning with its predictable results.

Mr. Kaplan refers to military regimes that followed sectarian breakdowns in Syria without mentioning the C.I.A.’s part in that country’s destabilization. As an example, the C.I.A.’s 1958 Operation Wappen was a covert operation to overthrow the Syrian government in what my father, a United States ambassador to Syria, called “a particularly clumsy C.I.A. plot.”

LA Times now provides the best round up coverage of the Middle East of US newspapers. But Fleishman strikes me as consistently clueless. Look at this: "The choice of intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as Egypt's second-in-command nevertheless met with some positive reaction. Suleiman is a seasoned veteran of the power structure and, in some quarters at least, is considered preferable to Mubarak's son, Gamal, previously seen as being groomed to succeed his father." Arab media are reporting all day that demonstrators are protesting against the choice of Sulayman, but Fleishman thinks otherwise.

"GOP Conference chairman Thaddeus McCotter voiced his support for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday in a statement released on his website. The Republican congressman from Michigan likened demonstrations in Egypt to "Iran's 1979 radical revolution." He cautions that those who "will be tempted to superficially interpret the Egyptian demonstrations as an uprising for populist democracy" should instead "recall how such similar initial views of the 1979 Iranian Revolution were belied by the mullahs' radical jackbooted murderers."" (thanks James)

Comic by Terry Furry, reproduced from "Heard the One About the Funny Leftist?" by Cris Thompson, East Bay Express

As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.

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